BETHANY HOSTS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

BETHANY, W.Va. – Dozens of scholars and activists from across the nation and around the world are coming to Bethany College April 10-12 for an International and Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Rights, Individualism and Globalization.

Dr. Chandana Chakrabarti, Director of Bethany College’s Center for Spirituality, Ethics and Global Awareness, has received abstracts for presentations from individuals representing institutions in 15 states and 12 countries spanning four continents. The three-day conference will be held at Bethany’s historic Old Main. It is being sponsored by the Center for Spirituality, Ethics and Global Awareness in conjunction with the Bethany College School of Arts and Sciences.

Among the American colleges and universities to be represented, in addition to Bethany College, are Arizona State University, Barry University, Columbia University, East Tennessee State University, Frostburg State University, George Mason University, Howard University, Lincoln Memorial University, Michigan State University, Mississippi State University, Mount Union College, Morgan State University, University of New England, Purdue University, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Southern Illinois University, Southern Methodist University, West Virginia University and West Virginia State University.

Presentations will also be made by international scholars representing Atilim University in Turkey, International Balkan University in Macedonia, Bashkir State University in Russia, Institute of Philosophy and Law in Armenia, University of Helsinki in Finland, Jahangirnagar University in Bangladesh, Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, University of Leeds and Goldsmiths College in the UK, University of Manitoba and University of Toronto in Canada, University of the Philippines, the Russian Academy of Sciences and Vaal Technology Institute in South Africa.

Selected papers from the conference will be published, subject to editorial review, in a special volume of the Journal of Indian Philosophy and Religion. Several panel discussions will be included in the conference and organizers have also planned an undergraduate research paper competition with an award to be presented for the best undergraduate paper.